Anime is known for pushing the boundaries of conventional or regular entertainment. The medium has explored every genre imaginable, but for those seeking even more bizarre experiences, we’ve come up with a list of the 15 weirdest anime.
These anime series challenge the ordinary and defy expectations by pushing the limits.
So, get ready because things are going to get bizarre!
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Sonny Boy
Starting our list is Sonny Boy, a show where 36 students find themselves and their school building suddenly transported to another dimension.
In this mysterious dimension, some of the students develop strange and unique powers.
Meanwhile, they are trying to find their way back home and for that, they need to navigate the dangerous and surreal landscape of this new dimension.
Sonny Boy comes with striking visuals and thought-provoking themes, and the strange plotline is just the perfect icing on the cake.
The show is described as surreal that explores the varied facets of consciousness, reality, and human nature.
Arakawa Under the Bridge
This romantic-comedy series explores the absurd and bizarre side of comedy. The story of Arakawa Under the Bridge follows a young man named Ko Ichinomiya.
The Ichinomiya family’s motto is “Never be indebted to anyone,” but after Ko falls into the Arakawa River, he finds himself in debt to his cute savior named Nino.
In order to repay the debt, Ko agrees to become Nino’s boyfriend and live with her under the bridge.
This journey takes Ko to a weird place where he meets the eccentric characters who live under the bridge.
Arakawa Under the Bridge is hilariously bizarre and filled with crazy moments.
Assassination Classroom
The next anime takes us into the weird world of Assassination Classroom, where the students attempt to kill their alien teacher.
The story is set in Kunugigaoka Middle School where Koro-sensei is this yellow, smiley-faced creature who looks like an octopus.
Behind that smiley face is one terrifying creature who threatens to destroy Earth within a year if he is not stopped.
The anime is filled with fantastical and surreal elements like Koro-sensei’s otherworldly powers and the different assassination techniques used by his students.
All in all, Assassination Classroom is quite strange compared to other shounen anime or manga.
FLCL
FLCL, also known as Fooly Cooly, is known for its unique style that has earned the series a dedicated fanbase.
The anime is about a 12-year-old boy named Naota who lives in a small town in Japan.
One day, his life takes a wild turn when he is run over by a girl named Haruko with her Vespa.
And that’s not where it ends, Haruko ends up hitting Naota on the head with a bass guitar. The incidents cause a horn to grow out of Naota’s forehead.
FLCL is a trippy series that is incredibly experimental in nature. This avant-garde series pushes the boundaries of storytelling and is a visual treat.
Mawaru Penguindrum
Mawaru Penguindrum is a mystery anime that explores themes like tragedy, resurrection, and conspiracy.
Three siblings, twins Shouma and Kanba, and Himari live together.
One day, during a trip to the aquarium, Himari gets seriously ill and doctors reveal that her condition is critical.
A miracle happens and Himari is revived. However, there is always a catch and, in this case, it is a weird one.
Himari is saved by a penguin-shaped hat and in return for saving her life, the twins need to find an ancient artifact named the Penguin Drum.
If they fail to find the artifact, Himari perishes. The plotline of Mawaru Penguindrum is complex and magical.
Theme-wise, the series is intense and dark with shades of violence.
Kill la Kill
Kill la Kill is fast and absolutely absurd. The series on a surface level is a revenge story and is quite edgy.
The series follows a high schooler named Ryuuko Matoi who carries a huge weapon that looks like half of a pair of scissors.
She is looking for the woman who has the second half of the weapon and is responsible for killing her father.
Satsuki Kiryuuin, the student council president of Honnouji Academy, is believed to have intel about the culprit.
Ryuuko decides to transfer to the academy. Throughout the anime, Ryuuko faces a wide variety of over-the-top opponents.
These opponents are Ryuuko’s fellow schoolmates who possess unique abilities.
The series has a distinctive art style that is paired with exaggerated character designs.
Moreover, Kill la Kill doesn’t shy away from fanservice. The highly stylistic Kill la Kill owns its weirdness like a champ.
Sekkou Boys
Miki Ishimoto has graduated from college and she is frustrated and disappointed by her artistic journey.
She is sick of sculpting and plans to change her career. Later, she ends up becoming the manager of a new idol group.
And here things get weird because the group she is managing comprises boys made of sentient statues.
The series is funny and has jokes about statues. Also, there are cultural references to mythology and Western art.
Humanity Has Declined
From the title, it appears that this is one hell of a dark anime, and to some extent, it is, with a fair share of absurdities.
The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have declined in numbers. Moreover, human civilization has regressed.
The most precious species on earth are fairies who are known to be highly intelligent and love their sweets.
Meanwhile, a nameless girl becomes a mediator between humans and fairies.
This is one odd anime that is all about sweet-obsessed fairies and their highly advanced technology.
The unique art of the anime also makes it cute and weird at the same time. The pastel-like art style looks exquisite.
Mononoke
This highly underrated anime is often considered one of the best psychological horror series.
Mononoke revolves around the main character named Kusuriuri or The Medicine Seller.
He is traveling across Japan and looking for Mononoke, which are supernatural entities.
Each episode of Mononoke is stand-alone and narrates a different story.
Set in feudal Japan, the horror anime showcases various folklore from the Land of the Rising Sun.
The series with all its symbolism and innovative storytelling is a must-watch.
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Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo
With a title like Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, how can we resist watching this series?!
This offbeat anime is about a man who reads other people’s hair. Bo Bobo is the titular character who uses his hair-reading abilities against his opponents.
He is fighting against the Margarita Empire who are attempting to steal other people’s hair to transfer more power to their king.
Bo Bobo is joined by a girl named Beauty and a peculiar, sun-shaped object known as Don Patch.
This unique and unconventional anime has odd humor and often breaks the fourth wall.
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Akikan!
A can turns into a beautiful girl -- this plot has "weird" written all over it.
Akikan! is a romantic comedy that follows Daichi Kakeru, a 16-year-old high school student.
Daichi never had a girlfriend but his life changed completely when he bought a can of melon soda.
To his utter surprise, he finds himself kissing a girl after trying to drink his soda.
He learns that his first sip is now his first kiss as the can came to life and turned into a beautiful damsel, whom Daichi starts calling Melon.
Meanwhile, Can is a project started by the government to turn empty cans into girls.
Cat Soup
A cat named Nyatto sets out on an adventurous journey to save his sister’s soul in this outlandish OVA series named Cat Soup.
Nyatto's sister's soul was ripped into by Death. Now, she trails after him half-dead.
Cat Soup is a wacky series with several layers of symbolism and is incredibly vivid.
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Polar Bear Café
Animals running a café in the middle of a forest is nothing but a surreal premise of an anime.
The series is about a polar bear named Polar Bear, who runs a café in the forest.
The café attracts all kinds of animals including a llama, a panda, a sloth, and a human girl.
Polar Bear Café is about the relationship dynamics and interactions between animals.
This slice-of-life anime has a casual storyline with cute animal characters.
Punch Line
Coming from studio MAPPA, Punch Line is a fascinating ecchi anime in which Yuta Iridatsu experiences astral projection.
One day, he wakes up in a mansion named Koraikan and comes across a cat spirit named Chiranosuke.
The cat spirit tells Yuta that he must find the Sacred Tome of Koraikan and then only his spirit will return to his physical body.
Punch Line has no shortage of fanservice with absurd humor. The series is also filled with breathtaking action scenes.
Midori Days
Midori Days, also known as Midori no Hibi, revolves around a high school delinquent named Seiji Sawamura, who desperately wants a girlfriend.
However, all he gets is rejection from 20 girls. He thinks his right hand is his only companion.
But one day, he wakes up to see that his right hand has turned into a girl named Midori, who tells him that she had a crush on him for the past three years.
The premise appears a little questionable, but Midori and Seiji’s romantic story is heartwarming to watch.
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